First acceptances for the coveted Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2020 closed on Tuesday with 109 weight-for-age hopefuls still in the hunt for the historic 100th edition of The Valley showdown.
The Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) takes place at Moonee Valley on Saturday October 24 and the horses heading towards the first of the ‘Big 3’ spring features has been cut from 182 (at nomination stage) to 109 horses.
There were 102 Cox Plate first acceptances in 2019 with numbers up slightly this season with 109 entries from 44 trainers including 37 Group 1 winners, 17 international raiders and nine previous contenders.
The 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate First Declarations Include:
- 17 Internationals
- 37 Group 1 Winners
- 13 Previous Moonee Valley Winners
- 33 Three-Year-Olds
- 44 Trainers
- 9 Previous Cox Plate Performers
It is the second-highest number of first acceptors for the event in the past decade behind the 110 taken in 2014, that year’s Cox Plate won by Irish-trained Adelaide for Aidan O’Brien.
O’Brien dominates the international Cox Plate first acceptances with 12 of the 17 raiders including his Cup hopefuls Japan and Magical.
Russian Camelot remains favourite in all-in Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with Danny O’Brien’s SA Derby winner set to resume at Flemington in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) this weekend.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Danny O’Brien has a total of six Cox Plate first acceptors with the all-in favourite joined by the likes of early Caulfield Guineas favourite Flying Award, Adelaide Cup winner King Of Leogrance and VRC Oaks heroine Miami Bound.
The other early favourite to take out Australasia’s weight-for-age championship is the Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant.
Waller is after his fifth success following the historic four-peat of his champion mare Winx who dominated the Cox Plate results from 2015-18.
Zed mare Verry Elleegant returned a Group 1 winner in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 22 and is also nominated for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup this spring.
The other Waller-trained horses still in Cox Plate contention include his Flight Stakes-bound filly Hungry Heart, Melbourne Cup performed stayer Finche and his shock first-up Group 2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes winner Humidor.
A dual Cox Plate placegetter, Humidor debuted for the Waller stable in the Feehan as an eight-year-old and won first-up for the first time in a shock victory.
In 2017 he gave Winx a fright when second in the Cox Plate before returning for a third behind the mighty mare in 2018.
He secured the golden ticket into the 2020 Cox Plate field after bypassing the event last year via the Feehan win and looked to still have a zest for racing.
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace are in the mix with a number of entries led by the former Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish galloper Sir Dragonet.
The Camelot entire ran second four times on the trot in Europe earlier in the year including in the Group 1 Gold Cup and looks a big danger in the spring features this carnival.
Melbourne Cup favourite Surprise Baby could still run in the Cox Plate as a stepping-stone into the ‘race that stops a nation’ after an eye-catching first-up run.
The Paul Preusker-trained son of Shocking, fifth in the Melbourne Cup results last November, kicked things off in the Feenahn Stakes.
He failed to secure the Cox Plate ballot exemption but lost few admirers with a flashing second behind comeback veteran Humidor.
Among the notable Cox Plate withdrawals are the inaugural two The All-Star Mile champions Mystic Journey and Regal Power, Australian Cup champ Fifty Stars, and David Vandyke’s and ace Queensland Alligator Blood who will be kept to shorter distances this campaign.
Cox Plate second acceptances close on Tuesday September 22.
Click here for the updated Cox Plate 2020 futures odds courtesy of race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate First Acceptances
Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 42x1x1311x | AKTAU (GB) | G | 5 | Michael Moroney | |
2 | 2021x | ALCYONE | C | 3 | James Cummings | |
3 | 35413x | AMISH BOY | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
4 | x895756x25 | ANGEL OF TRUTH | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
5 | 111x105x5x | ARCADIA QUEEN | M | 5 | Grant & Alana Williams | |
6 | 720x507x06 | ARISTIA | M | 5 | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | |
7 | 11232x441x | ARMORY (IRE) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
8 | 14x1x0x21x | ASPETAR (FR) | G | 6 | Roger Charlton | |
9 | 87x21411x1 | AVANTAGE | M | 5 | Jamie Richards | |
10 | 47x54533x4 | AVILIUS (GB) | G | 7 | James Cummings | |
11 | 31x | AYSAR | C | 3 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | |
12 | 4184x14x11 | BEHEMOTH | G | 5 | David Jolly | |
13 | 2x13437x0x | BRANDENBURG (NZ) | H | 4 | John Sargent | |
14 | 52112x216x | BUCKHURST (IRE) | H | 5 | Joseph O’Brien | |
15 | x111x0x11x | BUFFALO RIVER (USA) | G | 5 | Michael Moroney | |
16 | 3x25319x44 | CASCADIAN (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | |
17 | 6x010x040x | CHIEF IRONSIDE (GB) | H | 6 | Kris Lees | |
18 | 12714×1233 | CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) | H | 5 | Aidan O’Brien | |
19 | 8221111×0 | COLETTE | M | 4 | James Cummings | |
20 | 05x6161x5x | CON TE PARTIRO (USA) | M | 7 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
21 | 11012x043x | CRACK ON CRACK ON (GB) | G | 6 | Gary & John Moore | |
22 | 3555112×23 | DALASAN | H | 4 | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | |
23 | 41x0x0680x | DANCETERIA (FR) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | |
24 | 4311x44x | DEGRAVES (IRE) | H | 4 | Joseph O’Brien | |
25 | 12x122x33x | DJANGO FREEMAN (GER) | H | 5 | Robert Hickmott | |
26 | 115x3010x5 | DR DRILL (GB) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
27 | 12114×8 | DRAGON LEAP | G | 4 | Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott | |
28 | 7x122826x | ENNISTYMON (IRE) | M | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
29 | 110111x | FARNAN | C | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
30 | x8333835x0 | FIDELIA | M | 5 | Robbie Griffiths | |
31 | 11x2348x3x | FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) | H | 7 | Matthew Smith | |
32 | 34x51257x3 | FINCHE (GB) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
33 | 221×2 | FLYING AWARD | C | 3 | Danny O’Brien | |
34 | 11x2142x6x | FUNSTAR | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
35 | 037902x00x | GAILO CHOP (FR) | G | 10 | Matthew Williams | |
36 | 2752x940x0 | GATTING | G | 7 | Peter G Moody | |
37 | x2502162x3 | GLENFIDDICH | C | 3 | Peter G Moody | |
38 | 1x224x | GLOBAL QUEST | C | 3 | Chris Waller | |
39 | 14x10320x4 | GREYSFUL GLAMOUR | M | 5 | Mark Newnham | |
40 | 112x3314x3 | HARBOUR VIEWS (FR) | G | 6 | Matthew Williams | |
41 | 3x1212224x | HARLECH (NZ) | H | 4 | Michael Moroney | |
42 | 380x4549x7 | HARLEM (GB) | G | 9 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | |
43 | 11919×61 | HOLYFIELD | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
44 | 2x1260x70x | HOMESMAN (USA) | G | 7 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
45 | 5496x085x1 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | |
46 | 215×2 | HUNGRY HEART | F | 3 | Chris Waller | |
47 | 0x8100x34x | IMAGING (GB) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | |
48 | 31114x433x | JAPAN (GB) | H | 5 | Aidan O’Brien | |
49 | 243213111x | JENNIFER ECCLES (NZ) | M | 4 | Shaune Ritchie | |
50 | 61x | JET PROPULSION | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
51 | 2×2 | KAZUHIKO | C | 3 | Lloyd Kennewell | |
52 | 1148x8100x | KENTUCKY BREEZE | G | 6 | Levi Kavanagh | |
53 | 2x2113x50 | KINANE (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | |
54 | 349x211x2x | KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) | G | 6 | Danny O’Brien | |
55 | 315x911x | KING’S LEGACY | C | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | |
56 | 6x32050x3x | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
57 | 131 | KINGSHEIR (GB) | H | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
58 | 1x45778x02 | KOLDING (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | |
59 | 0211x8x58x | LEVENDI | H | 6 | Peter Gelagotis | |
60 | 11x | LOVE TAP | G | 3 | Richard & Michael Freedman | |
61 | 5x52116x64 | LUNAR FOX | C | 3 | Paul Preusker | |
62 | 01229x145x | MAGIC WAND (IRE) | M | 6 | Aidan O’Brien | |
63 | 22151x112x | MAGICAL (IRE) | M | 6 | Aidan O’Brien | |
64 | 133×3 | MAMARAGAN | C | 3 | John Thompson | |
65 | 511x880x80 | MANTASTIC (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | |
66 | 311x114x0x | MASTER OF WINE (GER) | G | 6 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
67 | 3411x84x4x | MIAMI BOUND (NZ) | M | 4 | Danny O’Brien | |
68 | 71826249×6 | MISS FABULASS | M | 5 | Kris Lees | |
69 | 8822x1180x | MISS SISKA | M | 7 | Matthew Smith | |
70 | 2114x4613x | MOGUL (GB) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
71 | 3002x902x2 | MR QUICKIE | G | 5 | Phillip Stokes | |
72 | 6x11126x11 | MUGATOO (IRE) | G | 6 | Kris Lees | |
73 | 160x1225x0 | MUSTAJEER (GB) | G | 8 | Kris Lees | |
74 | 6143x503x | MYTHICAL (FR) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
75 | 190x1410x0 | NETTOYER | M | 7 | Wendy Roche | |
76 | 331121×3 | NONCONFORMIST | G | 4 | Grahame Begg | |
77 | 3x11x | NORTH PACIFIC | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
78 | 5x347x | ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (IRE) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
79 | 15627x2x22 | ORDEROFTHEGARTER (IRE) | H | 7 | Danny O’Brien | |
80 | 2x21x1113x | PATRICK SARSFIELD (FR) | H | 5 | Joseph O’Brien | |
81 | 912x13x | PEACEFUL (IRE) | M | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
82 | 2130x | PERSONAL | F | 3 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | |
83 | 116162x | PRAGUE | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
84 | 7104x356x8 | PRINCESS JENNI (NZ) | M | 5 | David Brideoake | |
85 | x111228x2x | PROBABEEL (NZ) | M | 4 | Jamie Richards | |
86 | 56x423115x | QUICK THINKER | H | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | |
87 | 23x82435x3 | RELOADED | H | 4 | Chris Waller | |
88 | 1x11123x | RIODINI (NZ) | G | 4 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
89 | x11150x3x5 | ROCK | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
90 | 12x411x | RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE) | H | 4 | Danny O’Brien | |
91 | 1×24 | SAUVESTRE | C | 3 | Chris Waller | |
92 | 32x | SAVANNAH CLOUD (NZ) | C | 3 | Phillip Stokes | |
93 | 14×111111 | SHOWMANSHIP (NZ) | G | 5 | Grant & Alana Williams | |
94 | x44x2x222x | SIR DRAGONET (IRE) | H | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
95 | 4644116×45 | SO SI BON | G | 7 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | |
96 | 1x61212x8 | SUPERGIANT (NZ) | G | 4 | Michael Costa | |
97 | 2154x122x9 | SUPERSTORM | G | 4 | Grant & Alana Williams | |
98 | 4132x415x2 | SURPRISE BABY (NZ) | G | 6 | Paul Preusker | |
99 | 31x4124x3 | TAGALOA | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
100 | 07713116×1 | THE CANDY MAN | G | 7 | Peter & Paul Snowden | |
101 | 3x12x | TIGER MOTH (IRE) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
102 | 4x622221x5 | TOFFEE TONGUE (NZ) | M | 4 | Chris Waller | |
103 | 217x6x460x | TRUE SELF (IRE) | M | 8 | William Mullins | |
104 | 41121111×9 | VANNA GIRL | M | 4 | Toby & Trent Edmonds | |
105 | 51x287x | VATICAN CITY (IRE) | H | 4 | Aidan O’Brien | |
106 | 0x42212x1x | VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) | M | 5 | Chris Waller | |
107 | 1x421x395x | VOW AND DECLARE | G | 5 | Danny O’Brien | |
108 | 3x1x | YOSEMITE (NZ) | F | 3 | Robbie Griffiths | |
109 | 26x1122x80 | ZEBROWSKI (NZ) | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.